LITTLE INTERVIEW

Hidden Fields

Youth Contact Owner ID

Youth Contact Owner Email

Parent/Guardian Contact ID

Interviewer User ID

Program

RPI Language

EnglishSpanish

Parent/Guardian's Name

Youth Name

Age

Youth Contact ID #1

Youth Enrollment ID #1

Youth #2 Name

Age

Youth Contact ID #2

Youth Enrollment ID #2

Youth #3 Name

Age

Youth Contact ID #3

Youth Enrollment ID #3

Youth #4 Name

Age

Youth Contact ID #4

Youth Enrollment ID #4

Interviewer’s Name:

Date of Interview:

Interview Method

Is this a re-enrollment?

YesNo

PARENT/GUARDIAN INTERVIEW (if possible, without the child present)

Initial Enrollment Intro

Introduce yourself, share your pronouns, and ask the parent/guardian theirs.
Before starting the interview, talk to the parent about the interview purpose and process, including flow and areas of content.  
Explain that ideally, the parent and the child will be interviewed separately, if both the parent and child feel comfortable.   
Share expectations around mandatory reporting of abuse if disclosed by either the parent or the child, including BBBS policy and applicable state law.  
Share with the parent that you are going to talk to the child about safety and cover the child safety materials. Show the parent the materials and encourage the parent to review those materials with the child together later.

SAMPLE SCRIPT

“Thank you for your interest in Big Brothers Big Sisters and for taking the time to allow me to get to know you and your child. To get to know you both better I will ask you some questions about your child, including their personality and interests, school, behavior, health, and relationships. I’ll also ask you some questions about you and your family life because we want to find a Big that will not only be a good fit for your child but also will partner and communicate well with you. Then I will switch and speak with your child.

If at any time you want to take a break or would rather not answer a question, just let me know. We hope you will respond to as many questions as possible, so we can make the best match for your child. 

I’ll be taking notes as we talk just to be sure I don’t forget anything you have shared with me. Because child safety is our number one priority at Big Brothers Big Sisters, I will also talk to your child about personal safety, using this booklet, which I’ll leave here so you and your child can go over it again in more detail later.  

It’s also important for you to know that if you or your child shares detailed information about abuse or maltreatment of any child, regardless of how long ago it may have occurred, please understand that I may have to make a formal report to authorities based on mandatory reporting laws and Big Brothers Big Sisters’ policy. [Share specific state and agency reporting expectations].  

Additionally, our agency respects the confidentiality of all of our program participants, including youth. Certain information that your child may share with us that they ask be kept private will be respected, unless it relates to their or another’s safety. Do you have any questions for me before we get started?”

How did you hear about Big Brothers Big Sisters? 

Do you know anyone else involved in the program? What have they shared with you about their experience in the program?

¿Conoce a alguien que haya estado en el programa? ¿Díganos cuál fue la experiencia?

Overall, how do you think your child will benefit by having a Big? 

¿Qué beneficios cree usted que le traerá a su hija(o) al tener una BB/BS?

Re-Enrollment Intro

Before starting the interview, agency staff should complete a thorough review of the previous enrollment interview and match support records.
Talk to the parent about the purpose and process of reassessment during reenrollment, including flow and areas of content.
Explain that ideally, you will interview the parent and the child separately, if both the parent and child feel comfortable.
Share expectations around mandatory reporting of abuse if disclosed by either the parent or the child, including BBBS policy and applicable state law.
Share with the parent that you are going to talk to the child about safety and cover the child safety materials. Show the parent the materials and encourage the parent to review those materials with the child together later.

SAMPLE SCRIPT

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me! Today I’d like to get some information about your child’s previous match and find out how things are going since you initially joined the program. I’ll also want to talk to your child to get their input too. I’d like to talk to you and your child separately if that feels comfortable to both of you.

Some of the questions we’ll go over today will be the same questions we asked when your child first enrolled in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. This is to help me understand what things have changed since that time and what things have stayed the same. These questions will ask about things like your child’s personality, interests, school, behavior, health, and your family life. This will help us decide together which program and which volunteer will make the best fit for your child. Some of the things we’ll talk about might seem personal and may even be hard to talk about. If at any time you want to take a break or would rather not answer a question, just let me know. We hope you will respond to as many questions as possible, so we can make the best match for your child.

I’ll be taking notes as we talk just to be sure I don’t forget anything we talk about. I will also talk to your child again about personal safety, using this booklet, which I’ll leave here so you and your child can go over it again in more detail later.

It’s also important for you to know that if you or your child share detailed information about abuse or maltreatment of any child, regardless of how long ago it may have occurred, please understand that I may have to make a formal report to authorities based on mandatory reporting laws and Big Brothers Big Sisters’ policy.

Do you have any questions for me before we get started?”

Additionally, our agency respects the confidentiality of all of our program participants, including youth. Certain information, such as sexual orientation or gender identity, that your child may share with us that they ask be kept private will be respected, unless it relates to their or another’s safety. Do you have any questions for me before we get started?”

Muchas Gracias por tomar su tiempo en hablar conmigo hoy. El propósito de esta conversación es para determinar si nuestro programa sigue siendo una buena opción para su familia en este momento. La primera parte seria con usted y la segunda parte seria con su hijo. Nuestra porción será dividida en 3 partes. Primero vamos a hablar del emparejamiento anterior y reflexionar sobre esa relación. Segundo, hablaremos de cambios que hayan pasado con su hijo desde la entrevista inicial. Por último, hablaremos del tipo de persona que usted siente que va a ser el mejor mentor para su hijo. ¿Tiene algunas preguntas?

Please start off by telling me why you are interested in your child being rematched.

¿Porque está interesada en que su hijo sea emparejado de nuevo en nuestro programa?

Describe the relationship between your child and their last Big.

¿Como describiría usted la relación que su hijo tuvo con su ultimo mentor?

In your own words, tell me why the previous match closed?

What activities did your child enjoy doing in the last match?

What do you think your child liked most about the previous Big?

What did you like most about the previous Big?

What do you feel were the most positive experiences in this match?

What challenges did you face in the last match? Please share a specific example of one of those challenges and how you worked through the situation.

¿Cómo describiría usted su asociación con el mentor anterior?

Describe your relationship with the Big in the last match. What were your expectations of that relationship? What worked well in building and maintaining that partnership?

Describe your relationship with your Match Support Specialist. Please share a time in which you initiated contact with your MSS for support.

How do you think the previous Big would describe you? How do you think they would describe your child?

Overall, would you consider the last match successful? Why or why not?

QUESTION GROUP 1 - PERSONALITY/INTERESTS

Describe your child’s personality.

Describa la personalidad de su hijo(a).

How has that changed since your last interview?

What are your child’s strengths and talents?

¿En qué cree usted que su hijo/a es bueno?

Could you tell me a little about how your child spends their time? What activities do they enjoy? What activities do they enjoy doing online?

¿Qué actividades hace su hijo/a en el tiempo libre?

Does your child prefer to be active and participate in activities or to sit back and observe? 

How does your child typically respond when meeting new people? 

¿Cuándo su hijo/a conocer gente nueva, cuál es su actitud?

What is something a Big should know about your child before meeting them?  

¿Qué concejo le daría al BB para que conozca mejor a su hijo/a?

How did the last Big build a relationship with your child?

QUESTION GROUP 2 - FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

We know that every family is unique and that each child's family is an important part of their life. Because of this, we want to take some time now to understand your child(ren)'s relationship with family members a little better.

How would you describe your relationship with your child?  

¿Como describiría usted la relación con su hijo/a?

How has that changed since your initial interview?

Have there been any changes in who lives in the home with you and your child?

Does your child have a parent or parental figure that is currently serving in the military or is considered a veteran?

Describe the way that you and your child communicate with one another. 

How would your child describe your personality? 

How do you discipline your child?

¿Cómo disciplina usted a su hijo/a? Por ejemplo – no ver televisión.

Who lives in your home? What are their names and ages? What are their relationships like with your child?

¿Quien vive en la casa con ustedes?

Follow-ups to consider asking:

If another adult is in the home (i.e. stepdad, same-sex partner/spouse, grandmother, aunt, etc.): Do you see that person wanting to be involved with your child's match? If so, how?
Do they have any siblings outside of the home? What is their relationship like with them?
If they have siblings: How old are their siblings and where do they fall in the order?

Do you have any pets?

Confirm or update Child Living Situation as appropriate

Which parent will be the main point of contact for the match relationship?

What kinds of activities do you do as a family?

¿Qué actividades hacen en familia?

If one or more parents are not in the home, ask the following questions: 

What is your child’s relationship with their other parent(s)? What is their name?  

How often does your child see them?    

¿Con que frecuencia lo ve?

What type of contact do they have?

¿Qué tipo de contacto tienen?

Have you talked to the child’s parent(s) about enrolling the child in BBBS? 

What was their response?

How supportive do you think they will be towards the child being matched with a mentor? 

Does your child have a parent or loved one that is currently in state or federal prison?  

YesNo

What is their name and their relationship to your child? 

What was the nature of the crime committed?  

How long have they been incarcerated? 

What is length of the sentence? 

When was the last time your child saw the parent/loved one?  Does your child visit, write, or talk to them on the phone? 

What does your child know about the parent/loved one being incarcerated? 

Will the parent or loved one join the family on release?  If so, do you expect the match to continue? 

What does the parent/loved one think about your child having a Big? 

Do you anticipate that your child will want to talk to the volunteer about the incarceration? 

QUESTION GROUP 3 - FAMILY LIFE

We have the following address on file for you. Is this still your current address?

Street Address

Dirección

City

Ciudad

State

Estado

Zip

Código postal

County

Condado

How long have you lived in your home?

¿Cuánto tiempo lleva viviendo en esta casa?

How long do you plan on living in your current home? 

Do you plan on moving any time in the next year or two?

YesNo ¿Planea mudarse en cualquier momento en el próximo año o dos?

If planning on moving, when and to what location?

¿Si planean mudarse cuando y en que locación?

Will your child change schools?

What is your neighborhood like? (ie. Do you live in house, townhouse, an apartment complex? Is it mainly residential or commercial? Are there a lot of kids? etc) Are there any safety issues?

¿Cómo es su vecindario por lo general? ¿Hay algunos problemas de seguridad en el área?

Do you or your child ever feel unsafe in your neighborhood?

What is a typical day like for your family? Week? 

¿Cómo es un día típico en la familia? ¿Y en los fines de semana?

Does faith or spirituality play a role in your family’s life? If yes, please explain.  

¿La familia está involucrada en alguna comunidad donde practiquen la fe?

Do you see any major changes occurring in the family or child’s life in the next several months? Examples of major changes can include moving, changes in family size or structure, changes in school schedule or extra-curricular activities.  

QUESTION GROUP 6 – MATCH PREFERENCES

SAMPLE SCRIPT

“We know from our experience that parental involvement leads to more successful and longer term matches for children and youth. The next series of questions are important to help us understand what you hope your child’s match will achieve and so we can discuss the importance of your role in your child’s match relationship.”

How would you want the mentor to partner with you to continue working on goals that you and your child have already been pursuing?

Describe a person you think would best meet your child’s needs and interests. 

¿Describa el tipo de persona que usted cree que cumpliría las expectativas y los intereses de su hijo/a?

What topics of conversation would you not want the volunteer to discuss with your child? 

¿Qué le gustaría que ellos hablen? ¿Qué tipo de conversaciones no le gustaría que el/la voluntario tuviera con su hijo/a?

What topics of discussion do you specifically want the volunteer to talk with your child about?

What activities do you see the Big doing with your child?

¿Qué cree usted que la voluntaria haría con su hijo/a?

Each month, you, your child, and your child’s mentor will choose activities for them to do together. We strongly encourage you all to choose free activities as often as possible. If you all do choose an activity that has a cost, we expect the mentor to pay for themselves and the guardian to pay for their child. Knowing this, how might you discuss activities and create a budget with the mentor?

Considering your family’s schedule, what days do you think the child would be most available for outings with the Big? 

What would you consider a successful match? 

How will you help the match grow and thrive? 

How would you communicate if the overall match experience or the Big did not meet your expectations? 

SAMPLE SCRIPT

“The following questions are designed to help us make the best, most successful match for you, your child, and a potential volunteer. We do this by exploring your preferences in a match, as well as the preferences of your child and prospective volunteers to ensure that everyone feels comfortable. Big Brothers Big Sisters is an inclusive organization. We welcome and enroll Bigs, Littles and family members of all races, religions, marital status, genders and sexual orientations. We are committed to making sure our programs are inclusive of all youth, families, volunteers, and staff.  The goal of the matching process is to provide high quality, long-lasting mentoring relationships which have the maximum benefits for a child while providing a fulfilling experience for the volunteers.” 

Do you have any concerns or preferences regarding volunteers who: (Explain agency policies as applicable.) 

Smoke

Drink

Own Pets

INTERNAL: Pet allergies/concerns

YesNo

Own Firearms/Weapons

Have children of their own at home

Have a specific profession (Probe for agency specific examples, such as: military, law enforcement, specific workplace partnerships) 

SAMPLE SCRIPT

“We will use a rating scale for the next set of questions. A rating of a 1 means you are very uncomfortable and a rating of a 5 means you are very comfortable.” 

	1	2	3	4	5
How comfortable are you with the volunteer having a different race/ethnicity than you and/or your child?
How comfortable are you with the volunteer having a different religion/faith than you and/or your child?
How comfortable are you with the volunteer identifying as straight, gay or another sexual orientation?
How comfortable are you with the volunteer being male, female or nonbinary?
How comfortable are you with your child being matched with a couple?

Religion Preference

Sexual Orientation Preference

Gender Preference

WRAP UP

SAMPLE SCRIPT

“We’ve gone over a lot of information today. If we are able to match your child in the program, it is our expectation that you will be able to partner with agency staff and the volunteer to help create the best possible match relationship for your child. Open and regular communication is key to ensuring we are doing all we can to help ensure your child’s safety and well-being.” 

Explain next steps in the matching process, approximate timelines and provide contact information for agency staff should questions arise and ask if there are any further questions. 

What questions do you have? What else do you think we should know about your child in order to make the best match for them?

Guardian General Impressions

Parent/Guardian Training Status

Parent/Guardian RPI Completion Status

Confirm parent/guardian interview complete - this will check Interview Complete in Matchforce

Yes, the parent/guardian interview is complete

Youth Interview (If possible, without the parent/guardian present)

Youth Site/School:

Before you start, open up the Youth Interview Visuals PowerPoint to use as needed.

Key Points for BSW/SB Programs

Each Little is matched with 1 Big
Littles meet with their Big for 2 hours per month, in the location identified by BBBS (School, company, etc.)
Littles meet with their Big on a regular schedule (maybe once per month or every other week, depending on the school)
During Mentoring, they’ll do fun activities and talk with their Big

Key Points for Level Up Program

Each Little is matched with Lead Mentor, who works at the school like a teacher, but is not a teacher 
Littles may be in a group with up to 4 other Littles with their Lead Mentor, or one-on-one with their Lead Mentor 
Littles meet with their Mentor on a regular schedule once per week
During Mentoring, they’ll do fun activities and talk with their Lead Mentor and other Littles in the group
Littles stay in Mentoring the whole time they’re in middle school

Ask child for their preferred name and pronouns:

Preferred Name

Pronouns

Other pronouns:

Review with the child what an interview is and what to expect from this process.  
Talk to the child about what to expect from the interview, including the types of questions you will be asking and that there are no right or wrong responses.  
Explain how these answers are used and that it is okay to skip any questions that are difficult to answer.  
Share expectations around mandatory reporting of abuse, if disclosed.

SAFETY

If you haven't already done so, go over the appropriately aged safety booklet and video--links below.

Younger Littles:

Booklet: You Have a Right to Feel Safe

Video: Trust Tree for Kids

Older Littles:

Booklet: Healthy Relationships for Teens

Video: Personal Boundaries for Youth

Initial Interview

SAMPLE SCRIPT 

“Today, I’m going to ask you some questions – about the things you like and dislike, school, and your family. These questions will help me get to know you and help me find the best Big for you. I will also ask you some questions about what you want and what you expect from having a Big. There are no right or wrong answers!   

Some of these questions might be hard for you to answer – that’s okay, just do your best.  

I’m going to write while we talk so I don't forget anything we talk about today. Some of your answers might be shared with your Big before they meet you, so they know a little bit about who you are and what you’re like.  

Information you share with me that you ask to be kept private from your parent/guardian will be respected, unless you tell me something that relates to the safety of you or someone else.

My job is to keep kids safe, so I want you to know that if you share something about you or someone else being hurt or unsafe, I will need to tell someone to help keep you or the other person at risk safe.

Do you have any questions before we get started?” 

QUESTION GROUP 1 - INTRODUCTION

Have you ever heard about BBBS before you heard about it today? Now that we have had time to talk about it, and how it works what do you think about it?

How do you feel about getting a Mentor/Big? 

Why do you think your parent/guardian wants for you to have a Mentor/Big?

What types of things do you want to learn about / talk about with your Mentor/Big?

What do you think you can teach your Mentor/Big?

If you are the only one of your friends that has a mentor/big, will that matter to you?

How will you feel if you are in a group with other students that you do not know or get along with?

QUESTION GROUP 2 - SCHOOL

Tell me what you think about school. Do you like school? Why or why not? 

Do you think school is important? Why or why not? 

What parts of your school day do you like best?

What parts of your school day do you not like so much? 

What types of classes or parts of the day feel difficult? Potentially add follow-up of: What makes those parts difficult? 

What is it like asking for help at school? Do you know who to ask when you have a problem? 

What kind of grades do you usually get? 

What is it like to make friends at school? How do you usually start a friendship with someone? 

Tell me about your closest friends at school. Why did you choose them as friends?

Tell me about someone you don’t get along with at school. Why do you think you don’t get along with that person? 

How do you think other kids in your class would describe you?

How do you think your teacher (last year) would describe you? 

Who has been your favorite teacher? What did you like about that person? 

What is the biggest problem you have at school? Do you have any ideas about how to solve it?

What is it like getting in trouble at your school? Tell me about the last time you got in trouble at school. When was it? What happened?

What do you usually do after school? 

QUESTION GROUP 3 - FAMILY AND HOME

I’m excited to learn more about you and your family! What do you want to tell me about your family?  

Who makes up your family? Who lives in your home? 

Have you always lived with these people? 

Has your family talked about moving soon? If so, do you know when and where? 

What do you like most about your family?

What are some things you like to do with your family? 

Who do you feel closest to in your family? 

Do you go to church or other religious services with your family? 

What is the biggest problem you have at home?

What do you like to do in your neighborhood?

QUESTION GROUP 4 - PERSONAL

Besides your family, who do you like to hang out with when you’re not at school?

When you meet someone for the first time, how do you usually feel and act?

What about yourself makes you feel most confident? 

What do you want to be when you are older or grow up?

What makes you smile?

What makes you sad?

What makes you frustrated?

What do you do when something is happening that you don’t like? 

If you could change one thing in your life, what would that be?

If you could be the World’s Best ____, what would it be? 

What do you worry about or who do you worry about? 

How do you react when you get mad?

How do you like to help? 

QUESTION GROUP 5 - MATCH

What do you think is going to be the best part about having a Mentor? 

What would you want me to tell them about you?

What might you want to know about them?

Do you think you’d like to be matched with a Mentor to talk with one-on-one, or in a group with a few other kids too? (Be sure to explain that this does not guarantee this, but that we do want their input.) 

What types of people do you like being around? 

What kind of things do you want to do and talk about with your Mentor? 

Are there any questions that you want to ask about having a Mentor?

Tell me about the kind of person you think would be the best Big for you. 

What might you want to know about your Big?

Do you like pets? Do you mind if your Big has pets? 

Would it be ok if your Big had children of their own at home?

What do you think about your Big having a different race or ethnicity than you and your family? 

If you could pick the age of your Big, how old would you want them to be? 

What do you think about your Big having a different religion than you and your family? 

Are there any questions that you want to ask about having a Big?  Is there anything else that I haven’t asked you today that you wanted to share?

Any disclosures of abuse or trauma made by the child during this discussion or in any part of the interview.  Please ensure if you need to file a report, it is thoroughly documented.

Youth General Impressions

Confirm Little interview complete - this will check Interview Complete in Matchforce

Yes, the Little interview is complete

None	ADD	ADHD
Asperger’s Syndrome	Autism	Down syndrome
Dyslexia	Intellectual Disability	Learning Disabilities
Visual impairment	Epilepsy	Memory Loss
Hearing Impairment	Cerebral Palsy	Paralysis/Mobility impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury	Other